Interannual variations in the carbon to chlorophyll a ratios during the spring bloom in Prince William Sound, Alaska
dc.contributor.author | Tamburello, Kathereen Rachel | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2015-03-03T00:31:37Z | |
dc.date.available | 2015-03-03T00:31:37Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2005-05 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11122/5037 | |
dc.description | Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2005 | en_US |
dc.description.abstract | The carbon to chlorophyll a ratio of phytoplankton during the spring bloom in Prince William Sound, Alaska was investigated for 3 seasons and related to major physical and chemical variables. Carbon to chlorophyll a ratios (C:Chl) were determined by two methods, based on particulate organic carbon to chlorophyll (POC:Chl) and phytoplankton cell carbon to chlorophyll (PCC:Chl). These ratios were compared to a more commonly used estimate, a fixed ratio of C:Chl, taken from literature, for the spring phytoplankton community. The hypothesis that the C:Chl ratios were significantly different between years was proven false. This research indicates that the C:Chl ratio is primarily determined by species composition of the phytoplankton community rather than external factors such as nutrients, temperature or salinity. In addition, this research indicates that the identification and enumeration method, although rarely used because it is the most time and labor intensive method, provides the best estimate of phytoplankton carbon. The mean PCC:Chl ratio for all three years was 18, and is the best fixed ratio to estimate spring phytoplankton carbon in Prince William Sound when an EI Niño is not present. | en_US |
dc.description.tableofcontents | Introduction -- Background : what factors determine the C:Chl ratio in a cell? -- What is the effect of cell size and chemical composition on C:Chl? -- What is the effect of temperature on C:Chl? -- What is the effect of nutrient concentrations on C:Chl? -- What is the effect of light on C:Chl? -- Summary -- Methods -- Results -- Discussion -- Comparison of carbon biomass values -- Effect of species composition on C:Chl -- Particulate organic carbon (POC) -- Particulate organic carbon to chlorophyll (POC:Chl) -- Phytoplankton cell carbon (PCC) -- Phytoplankton cell carbon to chlorophyll (PCC:Chl) -- Physical and chemical effects on C:Chl -- Temperature -- Salinity -- Nutrients -- Water Transparency -- Conclusions -- References. | en_US |
dc.language.iso | en_US | en_US |
dc.title | Interannual variations in the carbon to chlorophyll a ratios during the spring bloom in Prince William Sound, Alaska | en_US |
dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
dc.type.degree | ms | en_US |
dc.identifier.department | Program in Marine Science and Limnology | en_US |
refterms.dateFOA | 2020-03-13T01:08:17Z |
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Marine Sciences
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